When you don’t pay your bills, your balance is sent to a debt collection agency. From there, the collection agency pesters you until you finally pay off your debts. Seems like a pretty standard affair, right? But what happens if you receive a collections notice when you have no outstanding debt?
This is what happened to a Scambook team member. He was mailed a debt collection notice from Enhanced Recovery Company, T-Mobile’s debt collection agency. But our coworker always pays his bills on time; when he called T-Mobile to ask about the Enhanced Recovery Company notice, they confirmed that he didn’t have any unpaid bills, late fees or other outstanding debt!
A few concerns come to mind. If this happened to us, it’s entirely possible that this is happening to others. Outstanding debt is reported to credit agencies so incorrect debts also have the potential to tank a credit score. Finally, are these collection notices the result of some big mix up behind the scenes or is the Enhanced Recovery Company (or someone using their name) preying on unsuspecting customers? Let’s have a look.
Enhanced Recovery Company: The Debt that Wasn’t
Recently, our friend here at Scambook received a collection notice from Enhanced Recovery. Having paid his bill every month, he was a bit perplexed, so he called T-Mobile — no outstanding debt on file.
So why did he receive a debt collection notice for $110.31? Is this just a big mix up?
Enhanced Recovery Company really is T-Mobile’s legitimate collection agency.
While it’s tough to say why a collection notice was mailed out, there’s two likely reasons for this. The first is that the Enhanced Recovery Company is working with the wrong information — some kind of backroom mix up or human error.
The second is a bit more menacing. It’s possible that Enhanced Recovery is preying on unsuspecting customers to make a quick buck, or a third-party scammer is impersonating the Enhanced Recovery Company.
Preying on Unsuspecting Customers?
The real issue here is a customer received a collection notice when there is no real debt on file. Remember, consumers and debtors alike have rights. It’s illegal for debt collectors to lie about the amount owed.
Shown: False collections notice from Enhanced Recovery Company on behalf of T-Mobile
This happened to us and it could happen to you. Know how to protect yourself in situations like this. Whenever you receive a collections notice, contact the original company you’re supposedly indebted to. Verify that the amount listed on the collection is legitimate.
It is illegal for companies to make false claims about the amounts you owe. For more of your rights as a debtor, be sure to check out our Fake Debt Collector Scam video. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out your credit score periodically to catch any errors.
If you ever encounter a debt collection scam or other suspicious activity from a company, make sure to report your complaint on Scambook!
See Also
Debt Collection Scams: Warning Signs & Safety Tips
Debt Collectors Break Rules by Impersonating Lawyers, Texting Victims
Consumer Victory: FTC Busts World’s Biggest Debt Collector
Leave a Reply